


Conundrum

by IAmStoryteller



Series: DC Mind Canon Version 1 [3]
Category: Batman - All Media Types, Captain Marvel (DC), DCU, Justice League
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-30
Updated: 2013-12-30
Packaged: 2018-01-06 18:36:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,220
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1110198
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IAmStoryteller/pseuds/IAmStoryteller
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Captain Marvel just joined the Justice League.  Batman makes a distressing discovery.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Conundrum

**Author's Note:**

> I don’t own DC or any of its characters. Also from my mind canon. Expanding from Billy and Damian’s conversation in No Sense about how Billy got into the JL without the members knowing about him being ten years old. Billy is 10 in this one. Remember in my mind canon he started his career as Captain Marvel at 8, therefore, he was active two years before he was brought into the Justice League.

Batman was reviewing footage he borrowed from the FCPD’s surveillance system, focusing in on the newest member of the Justice League—Captain Marvel. Batman should have started really researching Captain Marvel when the Captain arrived on the superhero scene two years ago. However, Batman’s busy life as Bruce Wayne (Playboy, philanthropist and CEO), as Batman (Leaguer, Outsider, Batman Inc. and Gotham City), and as a father distracted him from researching Captain Marvel. It also helped that Captain Marvel was active only in Fawcett City and its surrounding suburbs, until Captain Marvel went to Central City to help the Flash with the whole Multi-colored Lantern Invasion.

Flash, Wally, was no older than Dick, but he was a good judge of character. Flash came to Superman and Batman, being the ones that really made the calls of who joined the League or if they were better off in the JSA or the TT, and told them about Captain Marvel’s actions.

“Bats, Supes, I’m not saying to immediately let him join, but I can tell—he’s a good person, he really wants to help, but he still has lots to learn. It couldn’t hurt to have a trial run with him on some missions.”

Flash’s recommendation was taken seriously, after a few days of thinking about it, Batman and Superman posed the question to all the other members of the JL and they all agreed that Captain Marvel should be given membership. Captain Marvel was…ecstatic to be made a member of the JL. He should have spent more time researching the Captain and it was his fault now that he learned the truth about Captain Marvel, the World’s Mightiest Mortal.

Captain Marvel was only a ten year old boy named Billy Batson. He just let a ten year old into the Justice League. Batman took off his cowl and rubbed his eyes.

“Master Bruce? Are you alright? Did Master Jason charge something to your credit card again,” asked Alfred, bringing Bruce a cup of coffee. Jason still had the emergency credit card from when he was Robin and continually bought…very strange things and expensive things with it, just to irritate Bruce. (Really why did the boy need 5 tons of glitter?) “Or is Master Timothy and Miss Gordon playing hacky-sack with the internet again?”

“I’m an idiot, Alfred,” replied Bruce. “I should have been more into researching Captain Marvel. We just let a ten year old into the League!”

“I see,” said Alfred. “And you cannot be accountable for figuring out everything for everyone all the time. You have many things to do and not enough time to do it. What have you learned about the ten year old that is Captain Marvel?”

Batman sighed. “Billy Batson, age 10, orphan, lives in Fawcett City, address in the West Side District in a motel, works part-time at WHIZ radio, attends Fawcett City School No. 4 as a fifth grader. Parents died in accident when he was four. He has a twin sister named Mary, nowhere to be found. He has two uncles. One is in jail and the other is off-the-grid. In school, he is consistently a straight-A student. No clubs or sports. Volunteers at soup kitchens. Legally, he is emancipated thanks to our friend Manhunter’s early career as a lawyer. Receives 700 dollars total a month. However, his room at the motel is two hundred dollars a month. The remaining money apparently he uses from food, clothes and other necessary supplies, but it looks like he gives the rest of it away to others who also need it.”

“What are you going to do, Master Bruce,” asked Alfred.

Batman pulled his cowl back on and replied, “Tell Red Robin and Nightwing to handle patrol tonight. I’m going to Fawcett City.”

He took the Bat-plane and he was in Fawcett City within an hour. Leaving it in hover-mode, he descended upon the streets of Fawcett on the West Side District. It looked very similar Crime Alley in Gotham. It was run-down. People were sleeping in alleys, selling drugs, prostitutes were picking up customers, there were some things heroes and vigilantes could not get rid of. Batman’s eyes narrowed as he found the motel where Captain Marvel—Billy lived. It looked structurally unsound, it smelled viciously bad and when he found the room that Billy listed as his address with his school and job at WHIZ radio, Batman discovered that there was no lock on the door.

Batman entered the room. Billy was sitting his moth-eaten bed, working on homework. One day, he would grow up into a man that looked very similar to Captain Marvel. He had big blue eyes and messy black hair. He was wearing sweatpants and a t-shirt. The room was sparse, only a bed and an open closet with all of two identical outfits in it. There was a bathroom with no door. He obviously tried to keep it clean the best he could.

“Batman,” asked Billy, stunned at the sight of the Dark Knight standing his room. Batman noticed he got a panicky look on his face. This should be good. (Batman thought to himself…How many excuses and lies will this kid try to get over on him?) “What…What are you doing here? In my room? In the middle of the night?”

“Billy Batson, we have to talk,” said Batman, in his low gravelly voice. Billy sighed.

“Why,” he asked, refusing to meet his eyes.

“You know why,” said Batman, blankly.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” said Billy, trying to act clueless.

“Really? There are many things you are good at, lying isn’t one of them, Billy,” said Batman, sighing. They stared at each other for a few moments and then, Billy stood up.

“Fine. I’m Captain Marvel, happy? I knew you were going to be the first to figure it out. I thought, at least, I would have a couple more months to work enough courage to tell you that I’m just a kid,” said Billy.

“You should have told us from the start,” said Batman, scolding him. Seeing the young ten year old stand before him, looking at the ground in dismay, Batman realized a couple things about Billy. Billy didn’t eat enough and he was small for his age. This child had been taking care of himself since he was four. Bruce didn’t know what orphanages were like but he knew that a few years ago during the economic downturn many things like orphanages and soup kitchens were all shut down and many people went hungry and children were put into overcrowded orphanages and foster homes or onto the streets. “But I understand why you didn’t say anything.” 

Billy looked up at Batman. “I meant what I said when you asked me to join. It’s an honor to be a part of the Justice League.”

“Billy, you have to tell Superman and the rest the League sooner rather than later, do you understand,” demanded Batman.

“Yes, sir,” said Billy.

“And…you know that the Watchtower kitchen is open to you whenever you need it,” said Batman.

“I know,” said Billy. “Thanks.” With that, Batman turned and left Billy to finish his homework, hoping that everyone else will take it well that Captain Marvel is actually a ten year old boy.


End file.
